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THE
READING LIST
SWEET SURPRISE
You'll have to work a bit to find it, but there's good information
on window treatments here.
My years in publishing have
taken me to many different arenas, but one principle holds true
no matter what type of publication is being constructed. It has
to be reader- friendly. I apologize if, in my book reviews, I harp
on text and page construction but, truly, if a page is so overly
designed that you don’t want to read it—what’s the
point? The same holds true with interiors. Too many overlapping
styles, too many details, too many patterns will make an interior
look as if it has been spewed upon rather than been made a comfortable,
livable space.
That said, Traditional Home Window Style is a mix of good
information plummeting headfirst into an abyss of graphic mess,
with type fonts surging and diminishing as if by whim, changing
color, so much crammed onto a page that the eye skitters willy-nilly
around desperate to find a resting spot at which to start. Lines
intersect, boxes pop—it’s truly an awful start to what
is, at the root of it all, a pretty good book on (primarily) soft
window treatments.
Get past the over-designed introductions to each section, however,
and the reader will receive a sweet surprise: page after page of
nicely photographed window treatments, given good explanation to
allow the reader to learn why a particular style was chosen and
why it works.
THE SECTIONS
There are six major chapters: All Through the House, which features
a tour of Maryland interior designer Fiona Newell Week’s latest
home; Draperies and Curtains, which offers information that, as
window treatment professionals, is the equivalent of reading “See
Spot Run,” but for homeowners may offer something to ponder;
Valances and Cornices, a short jaunt through nicely-put- together
top treatments; Swags and Jabots, a pretty treatise on elegance;
Shades and Blinds, a look at some hard treatments but with particular
emphasis on soft shades; and Sophisticated Combinations, which displays
how two seemingly disparate treatments can look fabulous together.
In my opinion, the window treatments are photographed from too far
a distance, but according to the author, she wanted to show the
treatments as they worked within the interior, which makes sense.
Unfortunately, my eyes were often drawn to a foreground vase, for
example, instead of the treatment behind it. In any case, the examples
are nice and gave me pause to consider the possibility of doing
something similar in my home. Nice treatments, varying styles, pretty
details, a variety of interior spaces.
A final section, Working with Professionals, soars into graphic
design Hades. Try hard, little soldiers—read it if you can.
The information is good. It’s a cheerleading session on why
hiring an interior designer to help with window treatments is a
good investment. We can only hope that every homeowner will suffer
through these page-designs-on-acid and take them to heart. Then,
it offers advice on what to consider when deciding on a new treatment.
All good information.
One final note: only one section is credited—the section All
Through the House is credited to the interior designer and photographer.
No other photographs offer any information on the type of window
treatment materials used, who created them, who designed them. Nada.
‘Tis a pity.
Kathleen Stoehr is president of Chemistry Creative, based in
Minneapolis, MN. She is a former editor-in-chief of Window Fashions
magazine and is the author of the recently published Dream Floors,
Hundreds of Ideas for Every Type of Floor, available from Randall
International. Stoehr can be contacted for comments, queries and
trend information at kstoehr@chemistrycreative.com.
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